Scottish Parliament Committee News
 Issue 144, 23rd November 2004

 

Audit Committee
The Committee met in private this week to discuss the arrangements for its inquiry into the audit of Argyll and Clyde Health Board.  It will examine the financial and wider management practice at Argyll and Clyde Health Board and the way in which the Scottish Executive Health Department supports and monitors the performance of the Board.

 

Communities Committee
Members considered a petition on behalf of the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity campaign regarding the charitable status of the Jewish National Fund. The Committee agreed to consider some of the more general issues raised by the petitioner in the context of its stage 1 consideration of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Bill.

 

Education Committee
The Committee took its first set of evidence on the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill.

 

Enterprise & Culture Committee
The Committee continued taking evidence on the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Bill.  This week, they heard from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC), the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) and the Minister.  In the main, SHEFC and SFEFC are happy with the revised Bill, they recognise the challenges it poses to them as well as the opportunities it affords for greater strategic thinking in the further and higher education sectors.

 

Equal Opportunities Committee
The Committee dealt with the Budget process and considered arrangements for its forthcoming Stage 1 consideration of the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Bill.  Both the Conservatives and the SSP were opposed to the Bill’s consideration of by the Scottish Parliament.

 

Health Committee
Asides from some subordinate legislation, the meeting was held in private.  The private session discussed the Committee’s future work programme.

 

Justice 2 Committee
The Committee took evidence on the Youth Justice Inquiry from Dr John Marshall, Consultant Forensic Clinical Psychologist with Greater Glasgow NHS and Dr Nicola Hornsby, Chartered Clinical Psychologist with the Fife Youth Justice Team. The Committee also reported back on its fact finding visit in Edinburgh.  There was general agreement that things were better and more joined-up than was the case previously, but that issues surrounding resourcing remained.

The Committee also considered correspondence from the Deputy Minister for Justice on Petition PE578, which calls "for the Scottish Parliament to take steps to extend the right of absolute privilege available to those who complain about the conduct of a range of public bodies to young and vulnerable people who report abuse to an appropriate authority"

 

Local Government and Transport Committee
The Committee took its first evidence gathering session with regards to the Transport (Scotland) Bill, questioning a number of Scottish Executive, members of the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation (SCOTS) and the Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership, known as HITRANS.  There was discussion around the amount of secondary legislation which would arise from the Bill, while HITRANS raised concerns over the funding requisition powers which would be granted to the new regional transport authorities.

 

Subordinate Legislation Committee
The Committee continued its discussion of the Holyrood Park Amendment Regulations 2004. It had received a reply from the Executive to the question raised on the issue of who would collect the excess charge set out in the new section 4B and for what the monies collected would be used. The Executive replied that the excess charges will be collected by Historic Scotland and the monies collected will be used in the fulfilment of Historic Scotland functions. The Committee decided to draw the explanation provided to the attention of the lead Committee and the Parliament.

The Committee also considered delegated powers in relation to the Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill at preliminary stage. This is a private bill which authorises the promoters to construct and operate a tram line in Edinburgh. This tram line will run in a loop from St Andrews Square via Leith Walk to Leith, Granton, Haymarket and along Princes Street back to St Andrew's Square. The Committee is aware that, unlike the rules relating to Public Bills, there is nothing in the Parliament's Standing Orders which requires the Committee to scrutinise delegated powers in Private Bills. However, having taken account of the various issues, the Committee has taken the view that it is within its general remit to consider such powers and that it would be in order to do so and report the results to the Parliament.

The Committee also considered aspects of the Edinburgh Tram (Line Two) Bill, which is also a private Bill.   This line will run from St Andrew's Square through Princes Street, Haymarket, South Gyle to the Gogar Roundabout and on to Edinburgh Airport.  This Bill adopts the same form and content as the Line One Bill, the only difference being in relation to the description of the land and other property affected by the Bill. There are a number of delegated powers for the Committee to consider from the extension of time limit for exercise of powers of acquisition to insulation against noise, to power to make bylaws, to the amount of penalty fare.

 

Other Committee Homepages:

Environment and Rural Development Committee
European and External Relations Committee
Finance Committee
Justice 1 Committee
Public Petitions Committee
Procedures Committee
Standards Committee

  

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